James' New Girlfriend
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Follows Just Like Her Sister - Serena sees James at the grocery store but he's shopping with her son and a new woman. Has James already moved on? Does Terran have another family now?
1. The New Girlfriend

_Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Power Rangers: (Super) Samurai. This is purely fan-made._

Emily's infection was becoming manageable and the doctors were happy with her progress. So much so, that they felt comfortable letting her go home with Ji and the Samurai. Though it would be a while before Emily was back to full form, this was definitely a step in the right direction, and having everyone home felt really good.

Antonio thought it was time to celebrate – to have a little fun while the going was good. He caught plenty of fish that morning and wanted to head out to the grocery store to get a few extra ingredients for the big dinner he was going to make. Normally he would take Jayden with him, but the red Ranger was catching up on the training he had missed while he stayed by Emily's side in the hospital so Antonio opted to take Serena out. She had been spending a lot of time looking after her sister and he thought she needed to get away for a couple of hours.

While he was in the bakery staring at the cakes, trying to find the best one, Serena was in the produce section, looking at the apples. There was no special dinner without apple pie. Though the ones she baked paled in comparison to her mother's, no one could say they weren't good. The entire house loved them, especially Emily, so she thought why not spoil the Rangers?

She knew a lot about apples growing up on the farm and was picking through the pile to find the best ones. Only the best apples made the best pie.

That's when she saw it – him. She dropped the bag of apples she had collected, bruising them all as they hit the floor. She grabbed the cart and hurried over to the bakery, taking Antonio by the arm.

"We need to go."

"Where's the fire?"

"Antonio, please," something caught Serena's eye. She left the cart with Antonio and bolted out of the store. He looked around to see what had caused Serena to leave and that's when he saw it – him.

"James?" he asked, though it wasn't nearly loud enough for Serena's ex-fiancé to hear him, not that Antonio wanted to be heard. James was in the grocery store picking up groceries with Terran in the cart and a woman by his side. They looked like a happy little family and Antonio understood why Serena wanted to run. He quickly picked up a cake and went to the check out. He paid for everything and then carried his bags out of the store and looked around for Serena as he walked to the car.

"Serena!" he called. He put the bags in the trunk and closed it. She couldn't have gone far, but she was nowhere in sight. "Serena!"

Though Serena and James were broken up, and it was only a matter of time before either of them started seeing other people, Antonio still thought this was a low-blow on James' part. Sure, Terran was his son and after the war arrangements would be made to share the young boy between his parents, but for now, Serena had given him up to James to keep him safe. It was the hardest decision she had ever had to make, leaving both the men in her life behind, and James repaid her by finding another woman as soon as he could and starting his own little family with her.

"Serena!" Antonio called again and he saw her sitting on the curb at the side of the store. He hurried over, sat down beside her, and pulled her into his arms. Serena broke down. It was bad enough she wasn't allowed to see her son anymore, but to see her son was happy without her, her ex-fiancé had moved on, and there was already another woman in the picture tore her in two. Antonio let her cry on his shoulder for a moment and then walked her back to the car. He took the keys and drove her home.

Once at the Shiba House, Serena stormed down the halls into her bedroom. Antonio was forced to carry all the bags into the house himself.

Mia and Emily got up to see what was wrong with Serena. The boys went to help Antonio with the groceries.

"What did you do?" Kevin chuckled, thinking Antonio had done something irritating. The gold Ranger shook his head.

"You'll never guess who we saw at the store."

"Who?" Mike asked.

"James, Terran, and James' new girlfriend."

"New girlfriend?" Jayden frowned and shook his head, "Seriously? Already?"

"Who else would James be grocery shopping with?" Antonio asked. "I mean, we didn't talk to them. They probably didn't even notice us, but it's pretty obvious what was going on."

"Didn't they just break up?" Kevin said.

Mike sighed, "It's been a while and well… James isn't a bad looking man… It's not like he would have any problems getting a date."

"Especially with a baby in his arms," Kevin said with a nod of his head, "Babies scare boys away, but they draw girls in. And when mom's not in the picture and there's no one to compete with…"

"Serena is in the picture," Antonio growled. "Just because she's not with Terran now, that doesn't mean she's not his mom. That doesn't mean she's not in his life anymore. James has no right bringing another woman into Terran's life. Not without talking to Serena."

"So he's not allowed to date?" Jayden asked and received dirty looks from the boys. He took a few steps back, "Whoa, hey, I'm on your side, I'm just saying, the man's a man. He and Serena are broken up so technically he's within his rights to see other women…"

"But he shouldn't be bringing them into Terran's life. He's replacing Serena!" Mike cried. "Terran's just a baby! He'll get confused if there's a new mommy in his life. That bastard…"

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked as Mike started for the door. He grabbed his best friend by the shoulder, pulling him back into the kitchen. "The last thing we need is a murder to cover up. Sit down."

"No!" Mike cried and shook his head, "I want to kick his ass!"

"Shit down, Mike," Kevin pushed his little brother into a kitchen chair. "He'll get what he deserves. You need to calm down, though."

"Antonio."

The boys turned to the kitchen entrance and saw Mia standing there. She looked to the gold Ranger and pointed to the door, "You're coming with me."

"Me?" Antonio asked. "Why? Where are we going?"

"You're the witness. I'll need you."

"For what?"

Mia didn't say. She just pointed to the door. She didn't look happy one bit, and an unhappy Mia was not a Mia anyone liked to cross. Antonio did as he was told and followed her outside to the car.

Kevin chuckled and looked to Mike, "I told you he would get the ass kicking he deserves."

Mike got up, knocked the fruit bowl off the counter, and walked to Serena's bedroom. Jayden shook his head.

"Maybe you should have let Mike go after him," he said to Kevin. "Now James will have to answer to Mia."

"Mia won't beat the shit out of him," Kevin said. "It's the lesser of two evils."

"Verbal assault is still pure evil," Jayden said. He started to put the groceries away, "I wish I could be there though. If it is true that James is seeing someone else, I want to see him cry."

"If?" Kevin asked. "What do you mean if? Antonio wouldn't lie. Serena wouldn't be upset for no reason."

"She just saw him at the grocery store with a woman," Jayden shrugged, "It's not like we know for sure…"

"How many women will you go grocery shopping with?"

"Off the top of my head? Three."

"Women who aren't your sisters," Kevin said. "You can't count Mia, Serena, and Emily. Face it, Jayden. James breaks up with her for no real reason and then starts seeing someone else. He's a dick."

Jayden sighed and put the cake in the fridge, "He had a reason."

"A stupid one," Kevin muttered back. "They were happy one minute and then separated the next. Then he took Terran…"

"Sometimes, Kevin, there's more to the story than what you see with your own eyes."

"The man's an asshole," Kevin grumbled. "Sometimes, you just know."


	2. James Has A Secret

Mia knew everyone had their flaws. Even her perfect man could sometimes get on her nerves or he would do something that would make her question him, or herself. But what James had done had to be one of the worst things a man could ever do to a woman he once loved.

If James was going to be this big an ass, she was all for him finding another woman. He could be someone else's problem. But one thing he did not have a right to do was bring another woman into Terran's life without consulting Serena. No matter what had happened between James and Serena, she was Terran's mother. She had a say in who was involved in Terran's life. She didn't have to like the person James chose to date after her, but any decisions involving Terran needed to go through her.

Antonio felt the same way. Though he wished his eyes had deceived him, he knew what he saw was real. James had been grocery shopping with another woman and they had seemed quite comfortable together. Too comfortable.

Once the car was parked in the driveway, Mia and Antonio went up to James' front door. Mia banged loudly. She was furious. Antonio hung back, angry as well, but Mia was punishment enough for James.

The door opened, but before Mia and Antonio could be let in, someone needed to be let out. Antonio's jaw dropped as the woman from the grocery store gave James a hug, a kiss on the cheek, then she walked out. Antonio watched her leave, headed down the street to the bus stop. Mia just turned to James and glared. He saw them both at his front door and sighed.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Who the hell was that?"

James scratched his head, "A friend."

"Why is she in your house?

James gave Mia a strange look but then shook his head, "I don't have to explain myself to either of you. Terran's taking a nap upstairs. He's safe and sound, and he's happy with me: his father."

"Who was that?" Mia stepped in closer to James. She wanted answers.

"Uh, Mia," Antonio grabbed her arm. She shook him off and continued to glare at James. Antonio tugged a little harder, "Mia, I saw what I saw but I didn't see everything."

"What? What do you mean?" Mia asked. As she turned around to see what Antonio was pointing at, James crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. Mia's eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw James' friend, who was standing at the bus stop, kissing another girl.

"That friend, is Jen's soon-to-be fiancée," James explained. "Jen is an old co-worker of mine from when I worked at the school. She wants to propose to her girlfriend tonight, but needed her out of the house for the day to set things up."

"Aw," Mia smiled. She was completely distracted by the romantic gesture; Antonio needed to wave his hand in front of her face to bring her back. Mia shook her head, snapping herself back to the problem at hand. Though it seemed James was no longer dating, Mia still wanted to clear something up. She wanted to know why he had decided to tear himself away from Serena and leave the house so suddenly when only hours before the split, he had been madly in love with the mother of his child. She turned to James and frowned, "You're still an ass."

"Do you guys really think I would find a new girl this fast?" James asked. It was easy for him to tell why Mia and Antonio had come knocking on his door. He didn't know how, but somehow they had seen him with a girl and they assumed the worst.

"Who goes grocery shopping with someone they just met?"

"I have a sister, you know."

"That's not your sister," Antonio shook his head, "Besides, Serena saw."

The smirk fell from James' face. Though Serena had never met his family before, she had seen pictures. She knew what his sister looked like and would never have mistaken her for his girlfriend. As much as possible, James and his sister looked a lot alike. No one would ever believe they weren't somehow related.

So if Serena had seen him walking around with another girl, she must have assumed the same thing Mia and Antonio assumed. James opened the door a little wider, inviting the two Samurai in.

"So, Serena thinks…"

"We'll set her straight," Mia shook her head. She didn't want to talk about that anymore. She still wanted answers from James, and his behaviour was only confusing her further, "What the hell happened?"

"What?"

"Between you and Serena."

James shook his head, "Nothing."

"Nothing doesn't break two people up," Antonio said. He glared at James, "You broke her heart and then you take her son."

"She asked me to take him!" James cried. "I would never take a baby from his mother! What do you guys think I am? A monster?"

James stood up and paced the room. He couldn't believe this, "Seriously, you guys? First you think I'm an asshole for moving on only a little while after breaking up with the love of my life, now you think I took Terran away just to hurt Serena."

Mia and Antonio exchanged looks as their eyebrows shot up. Mia turned to James, "The love of your life?"

James breathed out a sigh and nodded his head, "Yeah… yeah, of course. How many women do you think I've asked to marry me?"

Mia shrugged her shoulders. Antonio started to look around. His eyes fell on the coffee table and he wandered over.

James continued to look at Mia, "Look, if you think breaking up with Serena was easy for me, then… I don't know what to say. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I'm sure I broke her heart and I hate myself for that. But she hurt me first."

"What did she do?" Mia asked. "Why did you…?"

"That's none of your business," James shook his head. "If Serena doesn't want to tell you than it's her secret to keep."

"Why won't you tell us?" Mia asked. "I mean, you should know, Serena's not sharing anything with us that she thinks will make her look weak or that'll earn her some sympathy. If she couldn't have, she wouldn't have told any of us she was paralyzed. Hell, she hasn't even told her parents about that!"

"I don't want to tell you," James shook his head. "All I can say is that Serena's not who you think she is."

"Did she ever hit you?"

"No."

Mia shoved James into the wall, "Then she's exactly who she told you she was. She didn't change for you, she didn't change after you."

"It's complicated…"

"You still love her," Antonio held up the picture book her had been looking. "This is full of pictures of you and Serena…"

"It's so Terran remembers her," James walked over and snatched the book out of Antonio's hand. "I'm not an asshole."

"Yeah," Antonio nodded his head, "but that doesn't explain why the pictures are of you and Serena. You still love her."

"Why did you break up with someone you still love?" Mia asked. James shook his head.

"It's complicated."

"You make it complicated."

"Dammit, Mia, this is none of your business…"

"You broke my sister's heart," Mia growled, "You took my nephew away from me and my family. I don't give a damn what Serena told you to do. You walked into our house, took our nephew and walked away with him. Serena cried all night. We stayed up to comfort her. We all lost sleep because of you. You owe me sleep and you can pay me back by giving me one reason why!"

In the bedroom, Terran started to cry. He was awake from his nap and demanding attention. James sighed and started to walk to the bedroom when Mia shook her head. She gestured for Antonio to go sooth him. She wanted an answer from James.

"Do you really want to know?" James asked as Antonio left to care for Terran in the bedroom. Mia nodded her head. James took another big breath, "Serena's got a secret…"

"Jayden's secret," Mia nodded. "I know. She and I talked about it a while back."

"You… you know?" James frowned. "You know…"

"She wouldn't tell me Jayden's secret. It's not her place. I was pissed with her too, at first, but she promised me it wasn't the time to talk. She said tell us would tear us all apart and it doesn't take a genius to know we can't afford that. Serena's promised me she wouldn't let the secret hurt us and I trust her."

"How can you? You have no idea what she's hiding. What…"

"Jayden's the one with the secret," Mia said. She glared at James, "Serena's made mistakes, but if there's one thing you need to know about her it's that she would never, ever, let anything harm us, Emily especially. Besides, you know the secret and you haven't said a word about it. You're doing the exact same thing you're accusing Serena of doing, but you're doing it while breaking her heart and taking her son away."

Mia knocked on the bedroom door to draw Antonio out while she continued to glare at James, "You're an asshole, James, and as much as I want Serena to know that, I don't want to see her hurting again because of a life she was forced into. I'll tell her your friend was just a friend. She'll believe me."

"You're living a lie," James shook his head, "How can you be okay with this?"

"I trust Serena," Mia shrugged, "And as crazy as it sounds to you, I trust Jayden. Neither of them would do anything to hurt any of us. If they have a secret, they have a good reason for it."

Antonio came out of the room, holding Terran. Mia took her nephew into her arms and cuddled him for a minute, happy to finally see him again. Then she passed him back to James.

"The least you can do is take care of him," she said. "And unless you decided to tell me the secret that concerns all of us, you're an asshole."

"Secret?" Antonio asked. Mia nodded her head.

"James has a secret."

"I…"

Mia took Antonio by the arm and walked him out of the house. She was done with James.


	3. Missing Their Family

Serena had stopped crying long ago. She had been rocked into a calmer state by Emily and couldn't bring herself to cry again. Knowing her sister was still upset; Emily had offered to stay with Serena in her bed. Emily managed to fall asleep without trouble but Serena laid wide awake.

Though she was having fun without her son in the house she missed him terribly. Nights were the hardest because she would find herself alone in her room. There was no warm body by her side, and no little boy to wake her from a comfortable sleep. Some nights, she would go into her sister and Mike's bedroom and sleep on their floor. When she did that, she made sure she was awake before them so they had no idea she had come in, but a few times she had been caught. Neither made a deal out of it. They let her be.

Now that they had Storm in the house, Serena would go sleep in the common room when she was feeling lonely. If Storm wasn't already sleeping, she would grab her blanket, jump up on Serena's chest and sleep there. The dog loved it just as much as Serena did.

But as much as she missed Terran, she didn't regret her decision. She knew James would do whatever it took to keep Terran safe and happy, and above all, including her own happiness, Serena wanted Terran safe and happy. However seeing him with his new family tore her heart out. She felt replaced. And even with Mia and Antonio's assurance that the woman she saw was Jen's girlfriend, not James', that feeling didn't go away. James was unbelievable. He was strong, he was handsome, he was smart, he was thoughtful; he was everything a woman wanted in a man and more. There were no doubt plenty of women lining up at his door, waiting for him to be ready to start dating again, and she was certain that day would come long before the end of the war. One day soon, a new woman would enter Terran's life and she would be pushed out and forgotten completely.

The same thing had happened to her mother. With Emily no older than a year when their mother went away, she was quickly replaced. For the first while, Emily missed her mother terribly, but as the days passed, the memories faded and Ellie was replaced. Serena became the mother and to this day, some of that still remained. Though Ellie had managed to repair the connection when she came back, Emily still looked to Serena in a way she would look to her mother. At times, she needed Serena more than she needed her mother. She was happy with her life, and Serena wished that for Terran, but selfishly, and not unreasonably, she wanted to be the only mother in her son's life.

Serena wrapped her arms around her little sister and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes but it took hours before she fell asleep. All she could think about was losing her son.

-Samurai-

James grumbled as he pulled himself out of the bed once more and walked to the other bedroom, where he had set up a room for Terran. His son was crying out loud again in the middle of the night. He did this every night. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for a few minutes. It would always wake James and there was nothing he could do for Terran.

He never used to do this. It only started once James took him away from the Shiba House and brought him to his home. At first, James thought it was the city noise. Because Terran was used to the Shiba House, which was so far away from civilization that there was no noise at night, James assumed he was being kept awake by the passing cars and the teenagers who liked to fool around at night. James did what he could to lower the noise levels around the house and in Terran's room, but that did nothing to help the little boy sleep.

He found a CD of lullabies, thinking Terran just needed to be soothed, but that did nothing.

He tried bathing the boy before bed to relax him. Terran would still wake up screaming.

He tried a routine, hoping it would help Terran feel safe, but he was still unsettled.

Eventually, James gave up and every night turned into a guessing game of how long it would take Terran to cry himself back to sleep.

James picked his son up and rocked him gently. After half an hour, James decided he wasn't going to waste his time. He walked out to the living room, turned on the TV and decided to wait it out. Terran would have to sleep eventually.

Late night programming was not always entertaining to James. He flipped through the channels mindlessly. After about a hundred changes, he was hoping he would find something that would catch Terran's eye. He didn't care what the parenting books said about TV and children. He would do anything to get his son to SHUT UP!

As James flipped mindlessly, his thoughts wandered off. Mia and Antonio had visited him and accused him of dating a new woman. His romantic life was none of their business, but he understood why they had stopped by. Obviously, what Serena had seen between him and Paula, Jen's girlfriend – now fiancée – had upset Serena. James had spent a lot of time around the Samurai, and he knew that when one of them was upset, they were all upset.

But James didn't have a girlfriend. There was no way he was ready for another relationship. He couldn't get Serena out of his head. Despite breaking up, he was still madly in love with her.

"_You know the secret and you haven't said a word about it. You're doing the exact same thing you're accusing Serena of doing, but you're doing it while breaking her heart and taking her son away."_

James shook his head. Mia would never know how much those words had hurt him, and how much they haunted him now. At first he had denied them. They weren't true because he wasn't a Samurai, the rules didn't apply to him.

But the more he let it sit, the more it processed. The rules applied to everyone. Whether he was a Samurai or not, Jayden's secret was still a secret, and it could possibly put the lives of one the Samurai in jeopardy. If James didn't say anything, someone could still die. If he did, he could tear the team apart. Though they were a strong group when they stood together, they were very fragile. A secret like this would break them up, and broken they were weak. Broken, they didn't stand a chance against Xandred, and Jayden's secret would be useless.

"Dammit," he muttered, realizing his mistake. Though he didn't like Serena's secret keeping, he finally understood it. He hated her for letting her family, her sister, run into harm's way blindly, but he was doing the exact same thing. The Samurai, his family, and Emily, his sister, were at risk because of the secret he now knew. The secret he hadn't, and wouldn't share.

_"It's not my place to say anything."_

If this secret was going to be what kept the team safe and what kept the world from being flooded by Xandred, the only way it was safe coming out was if Jayden or Ji came out with the truth. Serena saying anything, or James saying anything would destroy the Rangers and the world. It had been what Serena was trying to tell him, what Mia had been hinting at, and what he was finally understanding. This wasn't a secret that could be shared. It was a secret that needed to be kept.

"Your mother screws up sometimes," James whispered to Terran, "but when it counts, she knows what she's doing."

Terran looked up at James, as if he knew who he was talking about; and he likely did. His crying calmed for a moment. James smiled, "Tomorrow, how about we go visit your aunts and uncles? You can see Auntie Mia and Uncle Kevin, Uncle Jayden and Uncle Antonio, and Uncle Mike and Auntie Emy… and daddy can have a talk with mommy."

Terran babbled, trying to get the words out, but unable to say them. James nodded his head.

"Of course. You can see mommy too. She'll be happy to see you. Tomorrow morning, I promise."

As if he knew morning would come faster if he slept, he settled in his father's arms and put himself to sleep. James sighed contently, kissed the top of his head, and set him in bed.

"You missed your mother," he whispered. "That's what all that fuss was about."


	4. The Girlfriend

Serena worked a little harder than usual in training that morning. Though she was tired from being unable to sleep most of the night, she was also frustrated. She had been paired up with Kevin, who was strong and skilled enough to handle a more aggressive lesson, especially at this early hour of the morning, but within moments she had him with his back on the mat, holding his hands out in surrender. Serena sighed and lowered her sword. She held out her hand to help him up.

"Sorry."

"I thought everything was okay," Kevin said. "That girl was just a friend."

"Besides, if he's going to do something like that," Jayden added as he came over, "You're better off without him."

"He's still got my son," Serena sighed. She walked over to the bench and picked up her water bottle. Emily took a seat beside her. Though she never needed an excuse to comfort her sister, she pretended her knee was bothering her and she started to adjust the bandage.

"I'm sure Terran's okay," Emily said. "You did the right thing for him…"

"When you had nightmares, you used to wake me up," Serena whispered. "When you got a good mark in school, you used to tell me before anyone else. When you fell, you cried until I came to comfort you."

"Uh… thank you?" Emily gave Serena a funny look. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Mom left you for the war. You were only a little older than Terran. When she came back, you hid behind my legs. I don't want that to happen between me and Terran. I don't want to be forgotten and I don't want to be replaced."

"You won't," Emily shook her head. "James has done some questionable things in the past, but he would never replace you as Terran's mother."

"He doesn't choose who Terran gets attached to."

"But he has a say," Emily put her head on Serena's shoulder, "Everything's going to be okay. You'll still be in his life, no matter…"

"I'm not in his life right now, Emily," Serena snapped. She got up and just as she was about to storm out, the Gap Sensor sounded. The Rangers groaned, thinking it was way too early in the morning for a Nighlok attack, but Serena looked relieved. Unlike with Kevin, she wouldn't have to stop when she knocked the Nighlok down. She could take out all her frustrations on the Nighlok.

-Samurai-

In the car, along the path to the Shiba House, James glanced in his rear view mirror for just a moment to look at Terran. Though he had plenty of toys to distract him during the car ride, it seemed his eyes were fixed on the window as he watched the trees of the forest race by. He kicked his feet excitedly, like he knew he was going home to see his mother.

"You're excited, aren't you?" he asked, turning his attention back to the road just as the Shiba Gates appeared from behind the trees. He noticed seven figures running out into the woods and turned his radio on. It didn't take him very long at all to find a station announcing the Nighlok attack in the city. Sighing because he had just missed them, he pulled into the house, completely unnoticed by everyone but Ji, who had been about to head back inside.

James stepped out of the car and looked to Ji for a moment.

"I'm sorry."

"I thought you wouldn't be coming by anymore," Ji said. James saw his eyes shift for a moment to look in the car. He opened the back door and lifted Terran from his car seat. He walked over and handed Terran to Ji, seeing the smile on the older man's face as he held his grandson for the first time in a long time.

"I've thought about the secret," James sighed. "I hate it but I finally understand why it's a big secret. I'm sorry for what I said and the way I behaved."

"Apology accepted," Ji nodded his head. Though James had said some hurtful things, especially to Ji and Serena, Ji didn't think there was anything to forgive. James' reaction was expected and the fact that he had come back to the Shiba House on his own terms was a great surprise.

"That was… easy."

"I'm not the one you want to win back, I'm assuming," Ji said and invited James into the house. Both men were instantly greeted by Storm. James, who was still scared of dogs, jumped in fright and tried to back away from the small dog. Storm, who was cautious around strangers after the Spider-Mike incident, growled as she backed away. Ji watched with a small laugh. They were both scared.

"Storm is harmless."

"Is that why you called her Storm?" James asked. "When did you get a new dog? I didn't think Emily would ever be ready for a new dog."

With Terran still in one arm, Ji leaned down and scooped Storm up with the other, letting the dog and the baby introduce themselves. Both seemed very confused and curious of the creature who was about the same size as them. Terran was only used to big dogs, and Storm was only used to adult humans.

"It was a difficult process," Ji nodded his head, "And while Scruffy will never be forgotten, Emily found enough room in her heart to bring in a new friend."

"She's doing this to keep me away, I know it," James slipped into the common room to sit down, pulling his feet up onto the stool so Storm couldn't bite. Ji set her back down onto the floor. She ran over to James and barked loudly until Ji called her name and ordered her to her bed. Storm jumped at his shout and hurried off, hiding in her bed and under her blanket.

Ji took a seat and looked to James, "So what made you change your mind?"

"Your Samurai can be pretty scary when they want to be," James said. "Mia and Antonio stopped by yesterday and…"

"That was just a friend, right?" Ji asked and James gulped. Paula had just been a friend and James had nothing to hide, but Ji was still scary. In fact, James didn't know who scared him more: Serena's real father, who was big (very big), strong, and knew how to fire a gun, or Serena's surrogate father, who wasn't just a Samurai, but a Samurai mentor. He trained the Rangers who, on a daily basis, kicked ass.

"Just a friend," James nodded his head. "I swear, I have not moved on from Serena yet. Or from any of you, if I'm being completely honest."

James reached out, tickling Terran's stomach, "It might sound weird, but Terran's got pieces of all of you. It's like I never left you guys behind."

Ji cuddled his grandson and smiled, "He was raised with everyone by his side. As he grows and learns, it's only natural he starts to pick up the behaviours of those around him."

"I guess that makes sense," James sighed. He looked Ji right in the eyes, "I am really sorry. I'll never understand why you decided to keep this all a secret, but I know there's no going back now. The best thing I can do for the Rangers is make sure they stay strong."

"I'm glad you understand," Ji nodded his head. "I assure you, the safety of the Samurai is my top priority. I promised their parents their safe return and I will do all I can to honour that promise."

"Good," James smiled, "And I promise, yours and Jayden's secret is safe with me. The Rangers will only find out when the time is right."

"And what will this mean for you and Serena?" Ji asked. James sighed and shook his head.

"She was hurt pretty bad by me and Terran leaving… I understand. Well, Mia was pretty clear about it. I don't know what she'll want now but I'll make sure we're both happy with it."

Ji gave a slight nod and then stood up and started for the kitchen, muttering something to Terran about a stash of crackers he still had for the little boy.

James stayed in the common room, feeling very much out of place. The Shiba House had once been his home, but no more. He had walked away from that, from his friends, and from Serena. He fiddled mindlessly with a loose thread from the stool until he heard the door open. The Rangers came into the house, laughing about the Nighlok they had just defeated.

"Your face was pretty funny when he grabbed you," Mike walked into the common room backwards and he put his hand on Kevin's shoulder.

Kevin shook his head, "I wear a helmet. You couldn't see my face."

"I could picture it, dude," Mike pointed to his head, "In my mind."

Kevin gently shoved Mike before looking up and seeing James. The former coach got to his feet as he came face to face with the Samurai. He locked eyes with Serena.

"We need to talk."

"I believe you," Serena nodded her head. "Jen sent me the email this morning…"

"About you know what," James said.

Serena gestured to her bedroom, where she knew she could get some privacy. She and James walked in silence, and stood in silence in the room for a moment until he cleared his throat.

"I've thought about it."

"You're not saying a word to them…"

"If I was going to, I would have by now," James said.

"Then why are you here?" Serena asked.

"I wanted to apologize. I get it, now. I know why it's not the right time to tell them, and why you can't say anything. It's dangerous."

"Is that all…?"

James took Serena's hands in his and looked her in the eyes, "I'm really sorry, Serena. For everything. I didn't mean to…"

"You're right, James," Serena pulled away. "You're right about everything. I'm not helping by keeping this secret. No matter what, they're in danger. You don't have to apologize; I know why you ran away."

"I don't agree, Serena, but I understand. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? That's it?" Serena asked and James nodded his head.

"Well… There's also a surprise waiting for you. I'm sure you'll find him with the others."

Serena didn't need to be told twice. Really, she didn't need to be told once. James' less than subtle hint told her everything she needed to know. Like a flash, she ran away from him and darted to the common room, where she could hear the playful voices.

"Serena!" James cried, catching her arm as she reached the door and he stopped her from running to grab her son, "Let him come to you."

"What?"

"Emily, put him down," James looked to Emily. She gave her nephew one more cuddle before sitting him down on the floor. Terran looked around at his aunts and uncles happily as he recognized their faces, and then he saw the one face he really wanted to see: his mother's. He threw himself forward, landing on his hands. He pushed himself up on his knees and started to crawl right over to Serena, babbling the entire way. Serena knelt down and held her arms out as he approached. When he was close, Terran lifted his arm, grabbing her thigh. He pulled himself up so he was standing with support from her legs. Serena threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

James put his hand on Serena's shoulder, "Actually… I do have one more thing I want to say," he quickly glanced at Mia and Antonio and then tried to look Serena in the eyes, but she was barely paying any attention to him. She was admiring her son and how big and strong he had gotten since the last time she had seen him. James took Terran out of her arms and set him on the floor again. With a call from Emily, he made his way back to the other Samurai. Serena watched him, teary eyed, until James gave her arm a slight tug. She looked to him.

"Terran's not getting another mother," he said and lowered his voice to a whisper, "I hate this secret, but I love you. I love you more than anything else."

He pulled out the engagement ring from his pocket and held it up to show Serena, "You don't have to wear this… ever, but it's yours. No one else will ever have it but you. If by the end of the war we know we won't work out, you can give it back to me. If you think we have a shot… I'll wait."

"You'll…"

"I still love you."

Serena reached behind her neck and took off the necklace she was wearing. Then she took the ring from James' hand and slipped it on.

"I'll think about it," she promised. She gestured over to Terran, "I still want you to take him away."

"He misses you…"

"And I miss him like you wouldn't believe," Serena nodded, "But I want him safe, more than anything."

James kissed Serena on the top of the head, "You'll never be replaced. Not in his life, and not in mine. We'll both be waiting for you."

Serena nodded and then gestured to Terran. James breathed a heavy sigh and walked over, scooping the boy up.

"Home time, little monster," he said. "Say bye bye!"

Terran put up a bit of a fuss as he was carried off, but happily gave his mother one final goodbye by blowing her a kiss, something else he had learned while he had been away. Serena caught it, then gave him one final hug before letting him go.

Emily wrapped her arms around Serena, "See, he still remembers you. You're his mommy," Emily noticed the new addition to Serena's necklace and recognized the engagement ring. She sighed loudly, "You're taking him back?"

Serena touched the ring, "We'll see."

"But I just got rid of him," Emily groaned playfully, and was then playfully shoved by Serena. "He's the one that won't get away."


End file.
